OREANDA-NEWS. January 9, 2013. NOVATEK (“NOVATEK” and/or the “Company”) announced today the acquisition of an 82% participation interest in the share capital of LLC Gazprom Mezhregiongas Kostroma (“Gazprom Mezhregiongas Kostroma”) for a total consideration of RR 554 million. Gazprom Mezhregiongas Kostroma supplies natural gas to a wide range of consumers in the Kostroma Region (the “Region”).

In the first nine months of 2012, Gazprom Mezhregiongas Kostroma supplied 2.7 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas to the Region. During the same period, NOVATEK supplied 0.461 bcm to the Region.

According to NOVATEK’s Chairman of the Management Board, Leonid V. Mikhelson, “The acquisition of Gazprom Mezhregiongas Kostroma is another step in the implementation of the Company’s marketing strategy, providing for the expansion into strategic regions as well as increasing the share of end-customers in our total natural gas sales volumes mix”.

JSC NOVATEK is Russia’s largest independent gas producer and the second-largest natural gas producer in Russia. Founded in 1994, the Company is engaged in the exploration, production, processing and marketing of natural gas and liquid hydrocarbons. The Company’s upstream activities are concentrated in the prolific Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Region, which is the world’s largest natural gas producing area and accounts for approximately 84% of Russia’s natural gas production and approximately 17% of the world’s gas production. NOVATEK is an open joint stock company established under the laws of the Russian Federation. The Company’s shares are listed in Russia on MICEX-RTS Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) under the ticker symbol “NVTK”.